Woolly rhino DNA found inside an Ice Age wolf, Cardiff study suggests

Researchers including Cardiff University scientists extracted woolly rhinoceros DNA from the stomach of a 14,400-year-old wolf found near Tumat, Siberia, and report the evidence points to a rapid population collapse linked to climate warming rather than human hunting.

Scientists report a world-first extraction of woolly rhinoceros DNA from the stomach of a wolf that lived during the Ice Age. The wolf is dated to about 14,400 years ago and was discovered near the village of Tumat in Siberia. Academics from Cardiff University took part in the research. The team says the genetic evidence offers rare insight into the final days of the woolly rhino and points to a rapid population collapse. Key findings: - Woolly rhinoceros DNA was recovered from the stomach contents of an Ice Age wolf. - The specimen is dated to about 14,400 years ago. - The wolf remains were discovered near Tumat, in northeastern Siberia. - Cardiff University researchers were involved in the study. - The study reports that woolly rhinos maintained a viable population for roughly 15,000 years after the first humans arrived in the region, and the researchers suggest climate warming rather than human hunting drove their extinction. Summary: The discovery provides rare direct DNA evidence about the woolly rhino's final phase and contributes to understanding why the species disappeared. Undetermined at this time.